Harrie Smolders and Monaco Win GCT Grand Prix of Cannes

In a glittering showcase of precision and power, Harrie Smolders and his legendary partner Monaco soared to victory in the €500,000 Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Cannes presented by La Ville de Cannes, on a balmy summer evening on the French Riviera in front of the sold out crowd.

Under the spotlight of the iconic Stade des Hespérides, Smolders produced two faultless rounds in a fiercely contested LGCT Grand Prix, stopping the clock in 42.30s to clinch the win ahead of home favourite Simon Delestre with Cayman Jolly Jumper and fellow Dutch star Maikel van der Vleuten riding O’bailey vh Brouwershof N.O.P..

A beaming Harrie told GCTV post-win: “Incredible Monaco, once again so consistent, he’s one of a kind… Thank you to Monaco, and thank you to Evergate Stables.”

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With the golden ticket to the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix at the GC Playoffs in Prague now in the bag, Harrie said, “I am really happy that we can go to Prague, it’s an amazing event with an incredible atmosphere. Monaco has already jumped two times the LGCT Super Grand Prix, we were very close but we have also never won that one…” and with a cheeky grin he added, “hopefully this year”.

As for the track? Harrie added, “The atmosphere is unbelievable here in the evening with the crowd, the horses also feel this atmosphere and they give everything they have, we saw a very big track today with 10 out of 40 [in the jump off], that was the game plan of Uliano and it worked out for him… it was exciting right until the last rider and the last jump”.

A packed grandstand was on its feet as the crowd watched a thrilling jump-off unfold. First to lay down a clear marker was home hero Simon Delestre, whose Cayman Jolly Jumper produced a superb round in 42.70s, sending French hopes soaring.

Speaking after the class, Delestre commented: ”Honestly I love to ride in front of my home crowd, they support you, they push you, they are fighting for you, and it really is a fantastic sensation… Hopefully one time I can take the win because I think this is the third time for second place.”

But Smolders and Monaco – celebrating Monaco’s 16th year and still at the top of the sport – delivered a masterclass in control and speed, shaving four-tenths off Delestre’s time with a perfectly judged final gallop to the last.

Rounding out the podium, Maikel van der Vleuten and O’bailey vh Brouwershof N.O.P., fresh from recent podium form, produced another stylish double clear in 45.33s to keep themselves in the thick of the Championship race.

Knowing who was to follow him in the jump off, Maikel ultimately knew he was competing for a podium place… “I knew even if I had been one or two seconds quicker, the last two riders would’ve beaten me with a clear round. So in this case I have to be very happy with third place. Congrats to Harrie, my teammate, he was fantastic today… he deserved the win.

In the overall Longines Global Champions Tour Championship standings, Gilles Thomas remains in the lead with 87 points, but the race is hotting up behind him. Simone Delestre catapults into second on 85.2 points, while Sophie Hinners and Edwina Tops-Alexander are in third on fourth on 81 points within striking distance.

Course designer Uliano Vezzani once again crafted a track worthy of the Riviera’s glittering reputation, blending finesse with technical challenges at 1.60m. A star-studded 40-strong field tackled the first round under the Mediterranean night sky but huge names dropped out early proving how testing it was like Malin Baryard-Johnsson, Jur Vrieling and Harry Charles. Both Ben Maher and Christian Kukuk had a gut wrenching last fence down keeping them out of the jump-off.

Thirteen combinations advanced to the jump-off, setting up a dramatic second act for the riveted crowd.

Straight off the back of a win yesterday Mariano Martinez Bastida and Jup were first to tackle the shortened course. With the pressure on to set the tone, it was the red vertical mid-arena that proved their undoing, falling to add four faults to their tally. A determined gallop home saw them stop the clock in 42.52s.

Young talent Zoe Conter looked set to throw down a clear as the Belgian rider attacked the track with precision and purpose with H5 Chaccophanie. But in a gut-wrenching moment, the very last fence fell, denying them a podium finish and crossing the line in 46.80s.

Looking for his golden ticket Andreas Schou and Napoli vh Nederassenthof suffered an early rail, forcing the Danish rider to switch tactics and push for time. Despite a bold effort, he couldn’t match Bastida’s pace, posting 44.89s with four faults on the board.

Next up…Max Wachman ran into trouble at the imposing wall, tipping the top rail on Lexington. Misfortune continued as another rail fell at the Longines double, leaving the young Irishman to finish on 8 faults in 44.70s.

Delivering one of the faster rounds of the night Sophie Hinners and Iron Dames My Prins had their hopes dashed with a light touch on the upright coming out of the Longines double. Their time of 43.73s kept them well in the mix despite four faults.

Taking on his first LGCT Grand Prix jump-off Neal Fearon riding Derryglen Othello looked sharp and composed early in the round. But once again, the top rail of the wall proved the undoing, adding four to their score. Their gallop home stopped the clock in 47.10s, as Irish hopes faded.

Lorenzo de Luca and Jappeloup rode a smart, tactical round with no clears on the board so far. Keeping things controlled, he looked to post a steady clear – but heartbreak struck at the final fence. The resulting four faults and 51.01s ruled him out of podium contention.

2023 LGCT Grand Prix of Cannes winner Maikel van der Vleuten and O’bailey vh Brouwershof N.O.P. then broke the clear round drought with a beautifully judged effort. Without taking big risks, Maikel posted the first faultless round in 45.33s, securing a guaranteed spot on the podium.

Two time LGCT Champion Harrie Smolders and Monaco were simply electric. Fast, efficient, and ice-cool under pressure, they attacked the track and soared into the lead – taking over three seconds off Maikel’s time, crossing the line clear in 42.30s.

Home hero Simon Delestre and Cayman Jolly Jumper carried the hopes of the French crowd into the arena. Looking poised to deliver a fairy-tale home win, it was heartbreak when his time of 42.70s falling just 0.4 seconds short – handing the victory to Smolders.

Once again, the Longines Global Champions Tour of Cannes delivered a night of cinematic sporting drama, fusing the glamour of the Côte d’Azur with the adrenaline of elite show jumping. As the Cannes Film Festival celebrates stars of the screen, tonight the spotlight shone firmly on Smolders and Monaco.

As the curtain falls on Cannes, the LGCT now rolls on to Ramatuelle, Saint Tropez next week where from 12-14 June the sixth stage of this enthralling Championship will unfold.

FULL RESULTS here.